Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मच्छक्ति धारिणी त्वं वा सृजैवान्यां क्रतुक्रियाम् । अन्यो यज्ञपुमानस्तु संत्वन्ये लोकपालकाः

Transliteration

macchakti dhāriṇī tvaṃ vā sṛjaivānyāṃ kratukriyām | anyo yajñapumānastu saṃtvanye lokapālakāḥ

Translation

എൻ ശക്തി ധരിക്കുന്ന ദേവീ! നീ തന്നേ മറ്റൊരു യാഗക്രിയ ആരംഭിച്ച് നടത്തുക; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മറ്റൊരു ‘യാഗപുരുഷൻ’ (യാഗകർത്താവ്) ഉണ്ടാകട്ടെ; മറ്റു ലോകപാലകരും ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• मत्-शक्ति: my power
• मत्-शक्ति: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मतः शक्ति = my power)

• धारिणी: (she who is) bearing/holding
• धारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ धातु-आधार)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle: or)

• सृज: create/produce
• सृज: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• अन्याम्: another
• अन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• क्रतु-क्रियाम्: a ritual act/sacrificial rite
• क्रतु-क्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रतोः क्रिया = ritual act)

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यज्ञ-पुमान्: the sacrificer (male)
• यज्ञ-पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + पुमान्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य पुमान् = the man of the sacrifice)

• अस्तु: let there be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सन्तु: let them be
• सन्तु: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• लोक-पालकाः: world-guardians
• लोक-पालकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पालक (प्रातिपदिक; √पाल् धातु-आधार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य पालकाः = guardians of the worlds)

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṃbhu/Bhava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṃbhu addresses the Devī as bearer of his śakti, instructing her to set another sacrificial rite in motion and to appoint alternate agents—ṛtviks and even loka-pālas—suggesting a cosmic council around a yajña-plan.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī (Satī/Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power (śakti) sustains ritual order: when one agent cannot proceed, dharma continues through proper appointment and delegation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on yajña-order rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies arranging/initiating an alternative sacrificial performance (kratu-kriyā) and appointing proper agents/guardians for the rite and order.